Abstract:

Formal language training aims to impart students with the necessary linguistic and cultural knowledge to function socially and professionally in a foreign environment. In this capacity, it should provide students with enough essential vocabulary, grammar, and cultural context to perform daily tasks and express basic thoughts and desires in the target language. What formal training generally does not entail is a devoted study of idiomatic expression, colloquial language, or slang terminology. Though learning the standard forms is reasonably the primary task of language instruction, learning colloquial language will have the benefit of giving the student additional tools with which to interact with native speakers. In the case of Japanese, specifically, colloquial language is dissimilar enough from the standard form that it merits a level of separate study. I propose that manga, or Japanese graphic novels, be integrated into a standard curriculum in order to give students additional tools in deciphering language at various levels of formality. Such materials would feature native, unadulterated Japanese and would potentially fit in with the interests and hobbies of many of the students. In attempting to demonstrate the benefits of teaching manga in the classroom, I have assembled a collection of popular examples and created language lessons which highlight grammar and conversational points in a simple, accessible manner. Using manga in the classroom would also help boost kanji, vocabulary, reading, inference, and reference skills and would also provide succinct cultural lessons from native Japanese.